Guidebook For Chinese Travelers Includes Both Sensible And Bizarre Advice

Because Chinese tourists have a terrible rap, the National Tourism Administration has issued a 64-page guidebook on appropriate behavior, featuring some reasonable advice (“keep quiet when waiting to board a plane”), some common-sense advice (be on time), and and some head-scratchers (“do not call Africans ‘Negros’ or ‘black’”). “Don’t pick your nose is on the list,” too, as everyone seems to be pointing out. SCMP has this story, and an excerpt of some of the rules:

Do not

Give a handkerchief in Italy as a gift because it is deemed inauspicious

Discuss the royal family in Thailand

Touch people’s belongings in Nepal with the foot

Ask for pork in Islamic countries

Call Africans “Negros” or “black”

Use the left hand to touch other people in India

In general, touch antiques or draw graffiti on heritage structures

Expose the chest or back, or look dirty in public areas

Eat a whole piece of bread in one mouthful or slurp noodles noisily inside an aircraft

Do

Use shower curtains in a hotel

Keep quiet when waiting to board a plane

Keep mobile phones turned off until the aircraft has come to a complete stop

Be punctual if taking part in a tour group

Arrive at a banquet hall 15 minutes early and adhere to a formal dress code

Some of these are also fairly obvious, like, “Don’t ask for pork in Islamic countries.” But I want to focus on the “do” list — I hadn’t known Chinese guests have a reputation for not showering with the curtains pulled!

In April, China passed a Tourism Law — vocally backed by none other than vice premier Wang Yang — that came into effect on October 1. We wonder, then: is this latest handbook really necessary?

“Because Chinese [sic] have a terrible rap, the National Tourism Administration has issued a 64-page guidebook on appropriate behavior”

So a rulebook for a group of people that don’t care about rules. This should be an incredibly successful campaign. No mention of Spitting, Smoking, Public Defecation/Urination, or Jaywalking? Pshhh…. Pass Go and don’t collect 200元。

PS. Welcome to the Illustrious Middle Kingdom. Come for the cheap street meet, stay for the defective condoms.